1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of pumping mechanisms. More specifically the present invention relates to a flat-bed trailer mounted pumping apparatus for drawing water from a low lying holding area and delivering the water upwardly to and over a bank on which the trailer rests to any designated receiving area or means.
The apparatus includes a water drawing pipe and a deployment and angling cable means which moves the drawing pipe between a transport position on the trailer bed and a deployed position behind and angling downwardly from the bed into the water in the given holding area. A key inventive feature is that the drawing pipe telescopes from a shorter transport length to a longer deployment length to access water in deeper holding areas. A telescoping cable means moves an inner pipe segment into and out of an outer pipe segment. A hydraulic motor drives an impeller contained within the intake end of the drawing pipe. The hydraulic motor is in fluid communication with and powered by a hydraulic pump with a pressurized reservoir on the trailer bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been water pump assemblies for gathering water from holding areas and delivering the water at a high flow rate to a receiving area. The most notable such pump assembly is U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,677 issued on Sep. 6, 1966 to the present applicant, which functions very effectively, but is limited as to the depth of water it can reach in a holding area.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a water pumping apparatus which can reach and gather water in a deep holding area through a water drawing pipe longer than a trailer bed on which the pumping elements rest during apparatus transport.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus in which the water drawing pipe telescopingly retracts to become shorter to fit compactly onto the apparatus trailer bed.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which extends and retracts the water drawing pipe automatically through user operation of controls.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and which is reliable.
The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others, as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification.
A pumping apparatus is provided for delivering water upwardly from a holding area and over a holding area bank, including a trailer having wheels and a trailer bed; a composite water drawing pipe including structure for telescoping from a shorter pipe transport length to a longer pipe deployment length to access water at lower levels in the holding area; a water drawing pipe movement mechanism including a mechanism for moving the drawing pipe between a transport position on top of the trailer bed and a deployed position substantially behind and angling downwardly from the trailer bed into water in the holding area.
The composite water delivery pipe preferably includes a wider outer pipe and a narrower inner pipe, at least a portion of the narrower inner pipe being slidably retained within the wider outer pipe, the narrower inner pipe being mounted on an annular guiding carriage extending radially between the outer pipe and the inner pipe. The annular guiding carriage preferably includes an annular carriage plate encircling and connected to the inner pipe and having a plate inner circumference and a plate outer circumference; at least one carriage wheel mounted to the carriage plate at the plate outer circumference to permit the carriage plate and the inner pipe to ride on the carriage wheel as the inner pipe moves longitudinally within the outer pipe.
Where the outer pipe has a remote end and the inner pipe has an outer surface, the apparatus preferably additionally includes an annular outer pipe end flange structure; the end flange structure including an outer pipe end flange connected to and extending radially inward from the outer pipe remote end toward the inner pipe outer surface, the end flange having a lower end and an inner circumference; the end flange structure further including at least one inner pipe support wheel mounted to the end flange lower end and extending radially inward from the end flange inner circumference; where at least part of the weight of the inner pipe rides on the inner pipe support wheel as the inner and outer pipes telescope.
The apparatus preferably additionally includes a drawing pipe retraction cable secured at one end to the inner pipe intake end and extending along and substantially parallel to the drawing pipe to a retraction pulley rotatably secured to the trailer bed, the retraction pulley being rotatable by an electric motor; so that gathering the retraction cable on the retraction pulley causes the drawing pipe to telescope to a shorter configuration and unwinding the retraction cable from the retraction pulley permits the weight of the inner pipe to advance the inner pipe out of the outer pipe toward and into the water in the holding area and thereby telescope the drawing pipe to a longer configuration.
The apparatus preferably still additionally includes an angling cable guide pulley rotatably mounted on a guide pulley arm structure secured relative to the trailer; an angling cable gathering pulley mounted on a gathering pulley arm structure secured relative to the trailer; a drawing pipe angling cable connected to the remote end of the outer pipe and angling upwardly onto and over the angling cable guide pulley and over the trailer bed and being secured to the angling cable gathering pulley; an angling cable gathering motor drivably connected to the angling cable gathering pulley; a drawing pipe fulcrum structure connected to the trailer bed, pivotally securing the drawing pipe discharge end to the trailer bed; so that operation of the angling cable gathering motor to rotate the angling cable gathering pulley to gather the angling cable causes the drawing pipe remote end to pivot on the fulcrum structure upwardly and away from the water in the holding area, and operation of the motor to unwind the angling cable from the gathering pulley permits the weight of the water drawing pipe to pivot the outer pipe remote end downwardly about the pivotally connected end toward the water in the holding area, until a desired angle of descent is achieved.
The pump apparatus preferably includes an impeller with an impeller drive shaft rotatably mounted to an impeller mounting structure secured within the intake end of the inner pipe, and a hydraulic motor drivably connected to the impeller drive shaft; a hydraulic pump secured relative to the trailer; and a hydraulic line extending from the hydraulic pump along the drawing pipe to the inner pipe intake end and connecting to the hydraulic motor to power the hydraulic motor and thereby rotate the impeller.
The apparatus preferably still further includes downwardly telescoping hydraulic leg assemblies connected to the hydraulic pump by a hydraulic leg conduit, the telescoping hydraulic leg assemblies being secured to the trailer and oriented so that delivery of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump into the telescoping hydraulic leg assemblies causes the telescoping hydraulic leg assemblies to extend to and bear against the ground, and then to elevate at least a portion of the trailer to prevent movement of the trailer relative to the ground during pumping. The water drawing pipe has a discharge end, and preferably additionally includes a collapsible water discharge hose sealingly secured to the composite water drawing pipe discharge end and extending longitudinally over, while resting on the upper surface of, the trailer bed, and extending beyond the trailer bed and terminating at a hose discharge end. The apparatus preferably still additionally includes a hose gathering spool rotatably mounted on a spool mounting structure secured relative to the trailer, the hose gathering spool being connected to a spool motor, where the collapsible water discharge hose is connected to the hose gathering spool; so that operation of the spool motor in one rotational direction rotates the hose gathering spool to gather the hose while the hose flattens as it rides onto the hose gathering spool, and operation of the spool motor in the other rotational direction rotates the hose gathering spool to unwind the hose for deployment across the trailer bed and onto the ground.